|
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Luna 21/Lunokhod 2
| title |
Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 |
| date |
01.08.1973 |
| description |
Luna 21 carried the second successful Soviet "8YeL" lunar rover, Lunokhod 2, and was launched less than a month after the last Apollo lunar landing. After a midcourse correction the day after launch, Luna 21 entered orbit around the Moon on 12 January 1973. Parameters were 100 x 90 kilometers at 60° inclination. On 15 January, the spacecraft deorbited and, after multiple engine firings, landed on the Moon at 22:35 UT the same day, inside the LeMonnier crater at 25°51' north latitude and 30°27' east longitude, between Mare Serenitatis and the Taurus Mountains. Less than 3 hours later, at 01:14 UT on 16 January, the rover disembarked onto the lunar surface. The 840-kilogram Lunokhod 2 was an improved version of its predecessor and was equipped with a third TV camera, an improved eight-wheel traction system, and additional scientific instrumentation. By the end of its first lunar day, Lunokhod 2 had already traveled further than Lunokhod 1 in its entire operational life. On 9 May, the rover inadvertently rolled into a crater and dust covered its solar panels, disrupting temperatures in the vehicle. Attempts to save the rover failed, and on 3 June, the Soviet news agency announced that its mission was over. Before last contact, the rover took 80,000 TV pictures and 86 panoramic photos and had performed hundreds of mechanical and chemical surveys of the soil. The Soviets later revealed that during a conference on planetary exploration in Moscow, 29 January to 2 February 1973 (that is, after the landing of Luna 21), an American scientist had given photos of the lunar surface around the Luna 21 landing site to a Soviet engineer in charge of the Lunokhod 2 mission. These photos, taken prior to the Apollo 17 landing, were later used by the "driver team" to navigate the new rover on its mission on the Moon. |
|
Apollo 17 Prime Crew
| Title |
Apollo 17 Prime Crew |
| Full Description |
The prime crew for the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission are: Commander, Eugene A. Cernan (seated), Command Module pilot Ronald E. Evans (standing on right), and Lunar Module pilot, Harrison H. Schmitt. They are photographed with a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) trainer. Cernan and Schmitt will use an LRV during their exploration of the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The Apollo 17 Saturn V Moon rocket is in the background. This picture was taken at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, The Apollo 17 emblem is in the photo insert at upper left. |
| Date |
09/30/1971 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Orange Soil Discovery
| Title |
Orange Soil Discovery |
| Full Description |
A view of the area at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing the highly- publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crewmen found on the Moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The tripod-like object is the gnomon and photometric chart assembly which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical Sun angle, scale and lunar color. The Gnomon is one of the Apollo lunar geology hand tools. |
| Date |
12/12/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Cernan Jump Salutes Flag
| Title |
Cernan Jump Salutes Flag |
| Full Description |
Eugene A. Cernan, Commander, Apollo 17 salutes the flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) on NASA's final lunar landing mission. The Lunar Module "Challenger" is in the left background behind the flag and the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) also in background behind him. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Challenger to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the Moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, Command Module pilot, remained with the Command/Service Module (CSM) "America" in lunar-orbit. |
| Date |
12/13/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Replica of Plaque Left on Mo
…
| Title |
Replica of Plaque Left on Moon by Apollo 17 Astronauts |
| Full Description |
This image is a photographic replica of the plaque that the Apollo 17 astronauts left on the Moon at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. Apollo 17 was the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program. The commemorative plaque was unveiled at the close of the third extravehicular activity (EVA-3). The plaque was made of stainless steel measuring nine by seven and five-eighths inches, and one-sixteenth inch thick. It was attached to the ladder on the landing gear strut on the descent stage of Apollo 17 Lunar Module "Challenger. |
| Date |
12/12/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Shepard and Schmitt Enjoying
…
| Title |
Shepard and Schmitt Enjoying a Light Hearted Moment |
| Full Description |
Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt shares a moment of relaxation with astronaut Alan Shepard during prelaunch suiting operations. Schmitt will explore the Moon's Taurus-Littrow region with Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan during NASA's sixth and last manned lunar landing mission. The third crewman, Ronald E. Evans, will pilot the command module alone in lunar orbit during his crewmates' surface exploration. |
| Date |
12/6/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Kennedy Space Center |
|
NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss
…
| Title |
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources |
|
NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss
…
| Title |
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources |
|
NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss
…
| Title |
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources |
|
NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss
…
| Title |
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources |
|
NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss
…
| Title |
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources |
|
Hubble Refines Distance to P
…
| Title |
Hubble Refines Distance to Pleiades Star Cluster |
| General Information |
What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss
…
| Title |
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources |
|
Apollo 17 Astronaut Cernan A
…
| Name of Image |
Apollo 17 Astronaut Cernan Adjusts U.S. Flag on Lunar Surface |
| Date of Image |
1972-12-12 |
| Full Description |
In this Apollo 17 onboard photo, Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan adjusts the U.S. flag deployed upon the Moon. The seventh and last manned lunar landing and return to Earth mission, the Apollo 17, carrying a crew of three astronauts: Cernan, Lunar Module pilot Harrison H. Schmitt, and Command Module pilot Ronald E. Evans, lifted off on December 7, 1972 from the Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC). Scientific objectives of the Apollo 17 mission included geological surveying and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Taurus-Littrow region, deploying and activating surface experiments, and conducting in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast (TEC). These objectives included: Deployed experiments such as the Apollo lunar surface experiment package (ALSEP) with a Heat Flow experiment, Lunar seismic profiling (LSP), Lunar surface gravimeter (LSG), Lunar atmospheric composition experiment (LACE) and Lunar ejecta and meteorites (LEAM). The mission also included Lunar Sampling and Lunar orbital experiments. Biomedical experiments included the Biostack II Experiment and the BIOCORE experiment. The mission marked the longest Apollo mission, 504 hours, and the longest lunar surface stay time, 75 hours, which allowed the astronauts to conduct an extensive geological investigation. They collected 257 pounds (117 kilograms) of lunar samples with the use of the Marshall Space Flight Center developed LRV. The mission ended on December 19, 1972 |
|
Montage of Apollo Crew Patch
…
| Name of Image |
Montage of Apollo Crew Patches |
| Date of Image |
1979-05-01 |
| Full Description |
This montage depicts the flight crew patches for the manned Apollo 7 thru Apollo 17 missions. The Apollo 7 through 10 missions were basically manned test flights that paved the way for lunar landing missions. Primary objectives met included the demonstration of the Command Service Module (CSM) crew performance, crew/space vehicle/mission support facilities performance and testing during a manned CSM mission, CSM rendezvous capability, translunar injection demonstration, the first manned Apollo docking, the first Apollo Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), performance of the first manned flight of the lunar module (LM), the CSM-LM docking in translunar trajectory, LM undocking in lunar orbit, LM staging in lunar orbit, and manned LM-CSM docking in lunar orbit. Apollo 11 through 17 were lunar landing missions with the exception of Apollo 13 which was forced to circle the moon without landing due to an onboard explosion. The craft was,however, able to return to Earth safely. Apollo 11 was the first manned lunar landing mission and performed the first lunar surface EVA. Landing site was the Sea of Tranquility. A message for mankind was delivered, the U.S. flag was planted, experiments were set up and 47 pounds of lunar surface material was collected for analysis back on Earth. Apollo 12, the 2nd manned lunar landing mission landed in the Ocean of Storms and retrieved parts of the unmanned Surveyor 3, which had landed on the Moon in April 1967. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) was deployed, and 75 pounds of lunar material was gathered. Apollo 14, the 3rd lunar landing mission landed in Fra Mauro. ALSEP and other instruments were deployed, and 94 pounds of lunar materials were gathered, using a hand cart for first time to transport rocks. Apollo 15, the 4th lunar landing mission landed in the Hadley-Apennine region. With the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), the crew was bale to gather 169 pounds of lunar material. Apollo 16, the 5th lunar landing mission, landed in the Descartes Highlands for the first study of highlands area. Selected surface experiments were deployed, the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph was used for first time on the Moon, and the LRV was used for second time for a collection of 213 pounds of lunar material. The Apollo program came to a close with Apollo 17, the 6th and final manned lunar landing mission that landed in the Taurus-Littrow highlands and valley area. This mission hosted the first scientist-astronaut, Schmitt, to land on the Moon. The 6th automated research station was set up, and 243 ponds of lunar material was gathered using the LRV. |
|
Apollo 17: VIP Site Anaglyph
| Title |
Apollo 17: VIP Site Anaglyph |
| Explanation |
Get out your red/blue glasses and check out [ http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html ] this stereo scene from Taurus-Littrow valley on the Moon! The color anaglyph [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaglyph_image ] features a detailed [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html ] 3D view of Apollo 17's Lunar Rover [ http://www.batsinthebelfry.com/rover/index.php ] in the foreground -- behind it lies the Lunar Module and distant lunar hills. Because the world was going to be able to watch [ http://history.nasa.gov/40thann/videos.htm ] the Lunar Module's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060107.html ] ascent stage liftoff via the rover's TV camera, this parking place [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ] was also known as the VIP [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Very_Important_Person_(person) ] Site. In December [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040605.html ] of 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. The crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/cchoice/moonrocks/ moonrocks6.htm ] samples, more than from any of the other lunar landing sites. Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk [ http://www.alanbeangallery.com/ ] (or drive) on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. |
|
Long Leonid
| Title |
Long Leonid |
| Explanation |
Just last week this long lovely Leonid shower [ http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ ast21nov_1.htm ] meteor arced through the night. Captured on [ http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/leonids00/ leonids00.html ] November 17/18 by photographer [ http://www.comet-track.com ] Bob Yen, the meteor trail spans about 70 times the apparent diameter of the full moon in the skies above Mt. Wilson, California, USA. The Leonid's path flashes from the outskirts of constellation Gemini [ http://www.seds.org/Maps/Stars_en/Fig/ gemini.html ] to the triangle-shaped head of Taurus [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/ taurus-p.html ] (lower right). Of course, the trail points back toward Leo, the shower's [ http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/ leonids.html ] eponymous radiant, while passing near such night sky notables as galactic star cluster M35 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m035.html ] (upper left) and Taurus's brightest star, red giant Aldebaran [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/ aldebaran.html ]. Though the sky was ruled by a bright but waning Moon and brilliant Jupiter, the Leonid meteor shower [ http://www.spaceweather.com/meteors/gallery_18nov00.html ] still awed observers at dark sky locations with peak rates of hundreds of meteors per hour. |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096C ] was designed for flight [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] in the vacuum of space. This sharp picture from the command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096A ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine itself underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is visible in the front and a round radar antenna appears at the top. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972 - but where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site, Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ]. The ascent stage was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the moon. |
|
Stars and the Solstice Sun
| Title |
Stars and the Solstice Sun |
| Explanation |
If you could turn off the atmosphere's [ http://webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/ 14B.html ] ability to scatter overwhelming sunlight, today's daytime sky might look something like this ... with the Sun surrounded by the stars of the constellations Taurus and Gemini. Of course, today is the Solstice [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice ]. Traveling along the ecliptic plane [ http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Secliptc.htm ], the Sun is at its northernmost position in planet Earth's sky, marking the astronomical [ http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/ badseasons.html ] beginning of summer [ http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/ ] in the north. Accurate for the exact time of today's Solstice, this composite image also [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/SHOWCASE/SOLSTICE.HTM ] shows the Sun at the proper scale (about the angular size [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/scale.html ] of the Full Moon). Open star cluster M35 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060419.html ] is to the Sun's left, and the other two bright stars in view are Mu and Eta [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040408.html ] Geminorum. Digitally superimposed on a nighttime image of the stars, the Sun itself is a composite of a picture taken through a solar filter and a series of images of the solar corona recorded during the solar eclipse [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980311.html ] of February 26, 1998 by Andreas Gada. |
|
Strange Orange Soil on the M
…
| Title |
Strange Orange Soil on the Moon |
| Explanation |
How did orange soil appear on the Moon? This mystery began [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/a17.sta4.html ] when astronaut Harrison Schmidt [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.crew.html#jackbio ] noticed the off-color patch near Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ]'s Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ] landing site in 1972. Schmidt and fellow astronaut Eugene Cernan [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.crew.html#genebio ] scooped up some of the unusual orange soil [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/a17.sta4.html ] for detailed inspection back on Earth. Pictured above [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10076006.htm ] is a return sample shown greatly magnified, with its discovery location shown in the inset [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075960.htm ]. The orange soil [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_sampact.html ] contains particles less than 0.1 millimeter across, some of the smallest particles yet found on the Moon [ http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/attm/wl.so.1.html ]. Lunar geologists now think that the orange soil [ http://www.solarviews.com/cap/moon/moondust.htm ] was created during an ancient fire-fountain [ http://www.solarviews.com/cap/volc/fountain.htm ]. Detailed chemical and dating analyses indicate [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1996LPI....27..303D ] that during an explosive volcanic eruption 3.64 billion years ago, small drops [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000322.html ] of molten rock cooled rapidly into the nearly spherical colored grains. The origin of some of the unusual elements found in the soil [ http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar.htm ], however, remains unknown. |
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The Pulsar Powered Crab
| Title |
The Pulsar Powered Crab |
| Explanation |
In the Summer of 1054 [ http://www.chaco.com/park/archaeology/nebula.html ] A.D. Chinese astronomers reported [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/crabhist.html ] that a star in the constellation of Taurus [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Taurus.html ] suddenly became as bright as the full Moon. Fading slowly, it remained visible for over a year. It is now understood that a spectacular supernova explosion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980217.html ] - the detonation of a massive star whose remains [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980613.html ] are now visible as the Crab Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010325.html ]- was responsible for the apparition. The core of the star collapsed [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/pulsars.html ] to form a rotating neutron star [ http://www.astro.umd.edu/~miller/nstar.html ] or pulsar [ http://pulsar.princeton.edu/rpr.shtml ], one of the most exotic objects known to modern astronomers. Like a cosmic lighthouse, the rotating Crab pulsar generates beams of radio, visible, x-ray and gamma-ray energy [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/epo/gallery/ pulsars/index.html ] which, as the name suggests, produce pulses as they sweep across our view. Using a stunning series of visible light images [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22.html#Photos ] taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 1995, astronomers have discovered spectacular pulsar powered motions within the Crab nebula. Highlights of this HST Crab "movie" [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22.html#Movies ] show wisps of material moving away from the pulsar at half the speed of light, a scintillating halo, and an intense knot of emission dancing, sprite-like, above the pulsar's pole. Only 10 kilometers wide but more massive than the sun, the pulsar's energy drives the dynamics and emission of the nebula itself which is more than 10 light-years across. |
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Apollo 17's Lunar Rover
| Title |
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ] by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://www-sn.jsc.nasa.gov/PlanetaryMissions/EXLibrary/docs/ ApolloCat/Part1/LRV.htm ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ lrvhand.html ] just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html ] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/images17.html ], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990501.html ], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. Its estimated top speed was a blazing 8 miles per hour. |
|
Apollo 17: Shorty Crater Pan
…
| Title |
Apollo 17: Shorty Crater Panorama |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ Apollo17.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] in the Taurus-Littrow [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17OTM.html ] valley, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. This sharp panorama is digitally stitched together from pictures taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the valley floor [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html ]. Starting with a view of the imposing South Massif, scrolling the panorama to the right will reveal Schmitt and the lunar rover [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040605.html ] at the edge of Shorty Crater, near the spot where geologist Schmitt discovered orange [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ] lunar soil. The Apollo 17 crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/cchoice/moonrocks/ moonrocks6.htm ] and soil samples, more than was returned from any of the other lunar landing sites [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ]. Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051210.html ] to walk on the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060826.html ]. |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-096A.html ] was designed for flight [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] in the vacuum of space. This sharp picture from the command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-096C.html ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine itself underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is visible in the front and a round radar antenna appears at the top. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972 - but where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ ls_17_5aa.html ] at the Apollo 17 landing site [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ], Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_lsite.html ]. The ascent stage was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the moon. "Editor's note:" Eric Jones, Apollo Lunar Surface Journal [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ frame.html ] editor, comments, "If you look at the [... large, dark] triangular window, you'll see a bright rectangular area - which is the rendezvous window - beneath it, a bright arc. After much discussion, my team of volunteers and I concluded that the bright arc is the top of [mission commander] Gene Cernan's bubble helmet lit by sunlight ..." |
|
M1: The Crab Nebula
| Title |
M1: The Crab Nebula |
| Explanation |
In the year 1054 a star in the constellation of Taurus exploded in a spectacular supernova [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#sn ] so bright it appeared to dominate the sky except for the Sun and Moon for many days. It left behind one of the most brilliant nebulae, listed first in Charles Messier's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#messier ] list of nebulous sky objects. Today we know that the center of the nebula houses the remnant of the explosion: a spinning neutron star [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#ns ] called a pulsar. The Crab pulsar is visible in almost every part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and has been a useful astronomical tool. It is still unclear how the the pulsar emits the light that we see. For more information on M1 see The Electronic Universe Project's write-up. [ http://zebu.uoregon.edu/messier/m1.txt ] Many images of Messier objects can be found in The Electronic Universe Project's The Galaxy Gallery: Messier Objects. [ http://zebu.uoregon.edu/messier.html ] Tomorrow's picture: M15: A Great Globular Cluster |
|
Planets in the West
| Title |
Planets in the West |
| Explanation |
Have you seen any bright planets lately? Chances are if you've been outside under clear skies [ http://currentsky.com/ ] just after sunset, then you have. Now shining in the west as bright "stars [ http://nfo.edu/astro/planets.htm ]" in the night sky, are all five planets of the solar system known to [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/ceps/etp/discovery/ etpdiscovery.html ] ancient astronomers - Mercury, Venus, Mars [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/ funzone.html ], Saturn, and Jupiter [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/ jupiter.html ]. Recorded from Holt, Michigan, USA about 40 minutes after sunset on April 14th, this digital image [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/people/frenchj/const/index2.html ] captures three of them, Venus, Mars, and Saturn [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/planets/ saturn_index.html ], along with a young crescent Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000728.html ]. Also indicated are the Pleiades [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010506.html ] star cluster and bright red giant star Aldebaran [ http://www.earthsky.com/Features/ Skywatching/pronounce.html ] in Taurus. Mercury [ http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Jan97/ MercuryUnveiled.html ], setting, is lost in the trees and glow along the horizon, while Jupiter is off the top of this view. The coming weeks [ http://www.darkhorizons.org/planets.htm ] will see photo opportunities galore as all five planets gradually move closer together, posing after sunset with the Moon and stars in the western sky [ http://www.skyviewcafe.com/skyview.shtml ]. Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020330.html ], Mars, and Saturn will form the closest trio, drawing within a 5 degree circle (about the apparent size of your fist with arm extended) above Aldebaran by May 3rd. |
|
Lunar Module at Taurus-Littr
…
| Title |
Lunar Module at Taurus-Littrow |
| Explanation |
Can the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/ ] take a picture that shows the Apollo lunar modules [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] on the Moon? With its 2.4 meter diameter mirror [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/optics/ ], the smallest object that the Hubble can resolve [ http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/courses/astro201/ purpose.htm ] at the Moon's distance [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ] of around 400,000 kilometers is about 80 meters across. So, from low Earth orbit even Hubble's sharp vision can not image the Apollo lunar module descent stages, at most a few meters across, left behind [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981213.html ] at the lunar landing sites [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apolloland.html ]. A space telescope over ten times the size of Hubble could ... or a much smaller telescope in close lunar orbit. In fact, this picture does just resolve Apollo 17's Lunar Module, Challenger [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020105.html ], and its shadow on the cratered floor [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020128.html ] of the Taurus-Littrow valley in the Moon's Mare [ http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/lunarform/ maria.html ] Serenitatis. It was taken in 1972 from the Apollo 17 Command Module, America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/ 1972-096A.html ], orbiting about 100 kilometers above the Moon's surface and covers an area about 1.1 kilometers wide. Using a web site [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ] created by Dan Durda of Southwest Research Institute, armchair astronauts can explore orbital views of this and the 5 other Apollo [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/apollo.html ] lunar landing sites. |
|
Apollo 17: Last on the Moon
| Title |
Apollo 17: Last on the Moon |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020128.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] on the Moon, in the Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/ expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ], while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020628.html ]. Near the beginning of their third and final excursion [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.eva3prep.html ] across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ], Schmitt took this picture of Cernan flanked by an American flag and their lunar rover's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010609.html ] umbrella-shaped high-gain antenna. The prominent [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/ a17.fam-mtn.html ] Sculptured Hills lie in the background while Schmitt's reflection can just be made out in Cernan's helmet. The Apollo 17 crew [ http://www.ari.net/nss/askastro/Apollo17/ home.html ] returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than from any of the other lunar landing sites [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ]. And after thirty years, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk [ http://www.alanbeangallery.com/ ] on the Moon. |
|
The Pulsar Powered Crab
| Title |
The Pulsar Powered Crab |
| Explanation |
In the Summer of 1054 A.D. Chinese astronomers reported [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/crabhist.html ] that a star in the constellation of Taurus [ http://bradley.bradley.edu/~dware/taurus.html ] suddenly became as bright as the full Moon. Fading slowly, it remained visible for over a year. It is now understood that a spectacular supernova explosion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951027.html ] - the detonation of a massive star whose remains [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960509.html ] are now visible as the Crab Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951122.html ]- was responsible for the apparition. The core of the star collapsed [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/pulsars.html ] to form a rotating neutron star [ http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/miller/nstar.html ] or pulsar [ http://pulsar.princeton.edu/rpr.shtml ], one of the most exotic objects known to 20th century astronomy. Like a cosmic lighthouse, the rotating Crab pulsar generates beams of radio, visible, x-ray and gamma-ray energy [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/egret_pulsars.html ] which, as the name suggests, produce pulses as they sweep across our view. Using a stunning series of visible light images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22.html ], astronomers have recently discovered spectacular pulsar powered motions within the Crab nebula. Highlights of this HST Crab "movie" [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22.html#Movies ] show wisps of material moving away from the pulsar at half the speed of light, a scintillating halo, and an intense knot of emission dancing, sprite-like, above the pulsar's pole. Only 6 miles wide but more massive than the sun, the pulsar's energy drives the dynamics and emission of the nebula itself which is more than 10 lightyears across. In the HST image above [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/A.html ], the pulsar is the left most of the two bright central stars. |
|
Apollo 17: Boulder in Stereo
| Title |
Apollo 17: Boulder in Stereo |
| Explanation |
Humans left the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021212.html ] over thirty years ago, but donning red-blue glasses [ http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/mpf/ glasses.html ] (red for the left eye) you can share this excellent stereo [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010310.html ] perspective view of their last stomping ground. Recorded [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/ 10075973.htm ] by Eugene Cernan, the scene depicts his fellow astronaut and geologist Harrison Schmitt next to a large split boulder on the floor of the narrow Taurus-Littrow valley located at the eastern edge of the lunar Mare Serenitatis. Parked nearby, their lunar rover [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010609.html ] is visible beyond the boulder at the right. During their stay the Apollo 17 astronauts explored [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] the unusually dark terrain at the Taurus-Littrow landing site [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ] and deployed explosives to test [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/ Apollo17/A17_Experiments_LSPE.html ] the internal geology of the Moon. Apollo 17 returned the most lunar rocks and soil samples of any lunar mission [ http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html ]. |
|
Help Aldebaran Map the Moon
| Title |
Help Aldebaran Map the Moon |
| Explanation |
Turn on your camcorder, go outside, and become an astronomer. How? [ http://www.sky.net/~robinson/0729prls.htm ]. Tomorrow morning, our Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970728.html ap960730.html ] will pass directly in front of Aldebaran [ http://www.bo.astro.it/copernic/alde-eng.html ], the brightest star in this picture and in entire constellation of Taurus [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Taurus.html ]. Aldebaran [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970728.html http://www.adler.uchicago.edu/ISE/TAURUS4.HTM ] is visible to the left and below Comet Hale-Bopp in the above photograph [ http://galileo.ivv.nasa.gov/comet/cat1.html ], which was taken on April 30th in Tenerife [ http://www.cistia.es/cabildotf/ ], Spain. This occultation is valuable because disappearance times from different locations can be used to map the height of the lunar terrain [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960420.html ] at the occultation points. You can help by clicking here [ http://www.sky.net/~robinson/iotandx.htm ], where a site will detail how to tape a familiar cable channel and then take your still-running camcorder [ http://www.sky.net/~robinson/0729camc.htm ] outside to tape the occultation of Aldebaran [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1983ApJ%2E%2E%2E265%2E%2E325S&db_key=AST&nosetcookie=1 ] by the Moon. You can then donate your VCR tape to science by mailing it to this address [ http://www.sky.net/~robinson/0729prls.htm ]. Leave yourself plenty of time [ http://www.sky.net/~robinson/0729tysd.htm ] for a practice run and be sure to check the weather before going to a lot of trouble! |
|
Apollo 17: Boulder on the Mo
…
| Title |
Apollo 17: Boulder on the Moon |
| Explanation |
Twenty five years ago humans roamed the Moon [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/LunarTop10.html ]. Pictured here during the last moon landing [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ], scientist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.crew.html#jackbio ] was photographed [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075973.htm ] standing next to a huge, split boulder. Apollo 17 [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS17/Apollo17_fact.html ] was one of six missions that landed humans on the moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ ] and returned them safely. Apollo 17 [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS17/Apollo17_MissionObj.html ] explored the unusually dark terrain at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, deployed explosives to test the internal geology of the Moon [ http://bang.lanl.gov/solarsys/apo17.htm ], and returned the most rocks of any lunar mission. |
|
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover
| Title |
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031109.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020628.html ]. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ] by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/HumanExplore/Exploration/ EXLibrary/docs/ApolloCat/Part1/LRV.htm ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ lrvhand.html ] just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html ] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/images17.html ], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html ], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. Its estimated top speed was a blazing 8 miles per hour. |
|
The Pulsar Powered Crab
| Title |
The Pulsar Powered Crab |
| Explanation |
In the Summer of 1054 [ http://www.chaco.com/park/archaeology/nebula.html ] A.D. Chinese astronomers reported [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/crabhist.html ] that a star in the constellation of Taurus [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Taurus.html ] suddenly became as bright as the full Moon. Fading slowly, it remained visible for over a year. It is now understood that a spectacular supernova explosion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980217.html ] - the detonation of a massive star whose remains [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980613.html ] are now visible as the Crab Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951122.html ]- was responsible for the apparition. The core of the star collapsed [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/pulsars.html ] to form a rotating neutron star [ http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/miller/nstar.html ] or pulsar [ http://pulsar.princeton.edu/rpr.shtml ], one of the most exotic objects known to 20th century astronomy. Like a cosmic lighthouse, the rotating Crab pulsar generates beams of radio, visible, x-ray and gamma-ray energy [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/egret_pulsars.html ] which, as the name suggests, produce pulses as they sweep across our view. Using a stunning series of visible light images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22.html ], astronomers have discovered spectacular pulsar powered motions within the Crab nebula. Highlights of this HST Crab "movie" [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22.html#Movies ] show wisps of material moving away from the pulsar at half the speed of light, a scintillating halo, and an intense knot of emission dancing, sprite-like, above the pulsar's pole. Only 6 miles wide but more massive than the sun, the pulsar's energy drives the dynamics and emission of the nebula itself which is more than 10 lightyears across. In this HST image [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/A.html ], the pulsar is the left most of the two bright central stars. |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096C ] was designed for flight [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] in the vacuum of space. This sharp picture from the command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096A ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine itself underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is visible in the front and a round radar antenna appears at the top. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972 - but where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site, Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ]. The ascent stage crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the moon. |
|
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover
| Title |
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960420.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS15/LRV.html ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html ] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/images17.html ], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990501.html ], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. Its estimated top speed was nearly 8 miles per hour. |
|
Simeis 147: Supernova Remnan
…
| Title |
Simeis 147: Supernova Remnant from Palomar |
| Explanation |
It's easy to get lost following the intricate filaments in this detailed image [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Semeis.html ] of faint supernova remnant [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/ supernovas.html ] Simeis 147. Seen towards the constellation Taurus [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/taurus/ ] it covers nearly 3 degrees (6 full moons) on the sky corresponding to a width of 150 light-years at the stellar debris cloud's estimated distance of 3,000 light-years. The above image is a color composite of 66 blue and red color band images from the National Geographic Palomar Observatory Sky Survey [ http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~wws/poss2.html ] taken with the wide field Samuel Oschin 48-inch Telescope [ http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/oschin_telescope.htm ]. The area of the sky shown covers over 70 times the area of the full Moon. This supernova remnant has an apparent age of about 100,000 years - meaning light from the massive stellar explosion first reached Earth 100,000 years ago - but this expanding remnant is not the only aftermath [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011026.html ]. The cosmic catastrophe also left behind [ http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306628 ] a spinning neutron star or pulsar, all that remains [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/1996/22/astrofile/#2 ] of the original star's core. |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-096C.html ] was designed for flight in the vacuum of space. This picture from command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-096A.html ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] with the bell of the ascent rocket engine underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is seen at the front, with a round radar antenna at the top. Mission commander Gene Cernan is just visible through the dark, triangular window. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the Moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972. So where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ ls_17_5aa.html ] at the Apollo 17 landing site [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ], Taurus-Littrow. The ascent stage was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051210.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the Moon. |
|
Apollo 17: Last on the Moon
| Title |
Apollo 17: Last on the Moon |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051210.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] on the Moon, in the Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_lsite.html ], while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020628.html ]. Near the beginning of their third and final excursion [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.eva3prep.html ] across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ], Schmitt took this picture of Cernan flanked by an American flag and their lunar rover's [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/lrvhand.html ] umbrella-shaped high-gain antenna. The prominent [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/ a17.fam-mtn.html ] Sculptured Hills lie in the background while Schmitt's reflection can just be made out in Cernan's helmet. The Apollo 17 crew [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/ AS17/a17crew.htm ] returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than from any of the other lunar landing sites [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ]. Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon [ http://www.alanbeangallery.com/ ]. |
|
APOLLO 17 : A symbol for the
…
| Title |
APOLLO 17 : A symbol for the APOLLO program |
| Description |
APOLLO 17 : The astonauts intend, as a symbolic gesture, to return a piece of moon-rock to share with countries all around the world. From the film documentary 'APOLLO 17: On the shoulders of Giants'', part of a documentary series on the APOLLO missions made in the early '70's and narrated by Burgess Meredith. APPOLO 17 : Sixth and last manned lunar landing mission in the APOLLO series with Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E.Evans, and Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt. Landed at Taurus-Littrow on Dec 11.,1972. Deployed camera and experiments, performed EVA with lunar roving vehicle. Returned lunar samples. Mission Duration 301hrs 51min 59sec |
| Date |
01.23.1974 |
|
APOLLO 17 : Time...Enemy of
…
| Title |
APOLLO 17 : Time...Enemy of the Lunar Investigator |
| Description |
APOLLO 17 : There's just never enough time to do everything, especially on the moon From the film documentary 'APOLLO 17: On the shoulders of Giants'', part of a documentary series on the APOLLO missions made in the early '70's and narrated by Burgess Meredith. APPOLO 17 : Sixth and last manned lunar landing mission in the APOLLO series with Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E.Evans, and Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt. Landed at Taurus-Littrow on Dec 11.,1972. Deployed camera and experiments, performed EVA with lunar roving vehicle. Returned lunar samples. Mission Duration 301hrs 51min 59sec |
| Date |
01.23.1974 |
|
Two Moons and the Pleiades f
…
PIA06339
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Two Moons and the Pleiades from Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Inverted image of two moons and the Pleiades from Mars Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recently settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. In this view, the Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the "Seven Sisters," is visible in the lower left corner. The bright star Aldebaran and some of the stars in the constellation Taurus are visible on the right. Spirit acquired this image the evening of martian day, or sol, 590 (Aug. 30, 2005). The image on the right provides an enhanced-contrast view with annotation. Within the enhanced halo of light is an insert of an unsaturated view of Phobos taken a few images later in the same sequence. On Mars, Phobos would be easily visible to the naked eye at night, but would be only about one-third as large as the full Moon appears from Earth. Astronauts staring at Phobos from the surface of Mars would notice its oblong, potato-like shape and that it moves quickly against the background stars. Phobos takes only 7 hours, 39 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That is so fast, relative to the 24-hour-and-39-minute sol on Mars (the length of time it takes for Mars to complete one rotation), that Phobos rises in the west and sets in the east. Earth's moon, by comparison, rises in the east and sets in the west. The smaller martian moon, Deimos, takes 30 hours, 12 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That orbital period is longer than a martian sol, and so Deimos rises, like most solar system moons, in the east and sets in the west. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the five images that make up this composite with the panoramic camera, using the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
|
Two Moons and the Pleiades f
…
PIA06339
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Two Moons and the Pleiades from Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Inverted image of two moons and the Pleiades from Mars Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recently settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. In this view, the Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the "Seven Sisters," is visible in the lower left corner. The bright star Aldebaran and some of the stars in the constellation Taurus are visible on the right. Spirit acquired this image the evening of martian day, or sol, 590 (Aug. 30, 2005). The image on the right provides an enhanced-contrast view with annotation. Within the enhanced halo of light is an insert of an unsaturated view of Phobos taken a few images later in the same sequence. On Mars, Phobos would be easily visible to the naked eye at night, but would be only about one-third as large as the full Moon appears from Earth. Astronauts staring at Phobos from the surface of Mars would notice its oblong, potato-like shape and that it moves quickly against the background stars. Phobos takes only 7 hours, 39 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That is so fast, relative to the 24-hour-and-39-minute sol on Mars (the length of time it takes for Mars to complete one rotation), that Phobos rises in the west and sets in the east. Earth's moon, by comparison, rises in the east and sets in the west. The smaller martian moon, Deimos, takes 30 hours, 12 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That orbital period is longer than a martian sol, and so Deimos rises, like most solar system moons, in the east and sets in the west. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the five images that make up this composite with the panoramic camera, using the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
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The Two Moons of Mars As See
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PIA06338
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
The Two Moons of Mars As Seen from "Husband Hill |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exloration Rover Spirit settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. Spirit took this succession of images at 150-second intervals from a perch atop "Husband Hill" in Gusev Crater on martian day, or sol, 594 (Sept. 4, 2005), as the faster-moving martian moon Phobos was passing Deimos in the night sky. Phobos is the brighter object on the left and Deimos is the dimmer object on the right. The bright star Aldebaran and some other stars in the constellation Taurus are visible as star trails. Most of the other streaks in the image are the result of cosmic rays lighting up random groups of pixels in the camera. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the five images that make up this c omposite with its panoramic camera using the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
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The Night Sky on Mars
PIA06337
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
The Night Sky on Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. This time-lapse composite, acquired the evening of Spirit's martian sol 590 (Aug. 30, 2005) from a perch atop "Husband Hill" in Gusev Crater, shows Phobos, the brighter moon, on the left, and Deimos, the dimmer moon, on the right. In this sequence of images obtained every 170 seconds, both moons move from top to bottom. The bright star Aldebaran forms a trail on the right, along with some other stars in the constellation Taurus. Most of the other streaks in the image mark the collision of cosmic rays with pixels in the camera. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the six images that make up this composite using Spirit's panoramic camera with the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
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Two Moons and the Pleiades f
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PIA06340
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Two Moons and the Pleiades from Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recently settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. In this view, the Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the "Seven Sisters," is visible in the lower left corner. The bright star Aldebaran and some of the stars in the constellation Taurus are visible on the right. Spirit acquired this image the evening of martian day, or sol, 590 (Aug. 30, 2005). The image on the right provides an enhanced-contrast view with annotation. Within the enhanced halo of light is an insert of an unsaturated view of Phobos taken a few images later in the same sequence. "It is incredibly cool to be running an observatory on another planet," said planetary scientist Jim Bell of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., lead scientist for the panoramic cameras on Spirit and Opportunity. In the annotated animation (figure 2), both martian moons, Deimos on the left and Phobos on the right, travel across the night sky in front of the constellation Sagittarius. Part of Sagittarius resembles an upside-down teapot. In this view, Phobos moves toward the handle and Deimos moves toward the lid. Phobos is the brighter object on the right, Deimos is on the left. Each of the stars in Sagittarius is labeled with its formal name. The inset shows an enlarged, enhanced view of Phobos, shaped rather like a potato with a hole near one end. The hole is the large impact creater Stickney, visible on the moon's upper right limb. On Mars, Phobos would be easily visible to the naked eye at night, but would be only about one-third as large as the full Moon appears from Earth. Astronauts staring at Phobos from the surface of Mars would notice its oblong, potato-like shape and that it moves quickly against the background stars. Phobos takes only 7 hours, 39 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That is so fast, relative to the 24-hour-and-39-minute sol on Mars (the length of time it takes for Mars to complete one rotation), that Phobos rises in the west and sets in the east. Earth's moon, by comparison, rises in the east and sets in the west. The smaller martian moon, Deimos, takes 30 hours, 12 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That orbital period is longer than a martian sol, and so Deimos rises, like most solar system moons, in the east and sets in the west. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the five images that make up this composite with the panoramic camera, using the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
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Two Moons and the Pleiades f
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PIA06340
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Two Moons and the Pleiades from Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recently settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. In this view, the Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the "Seven Sisters," is visible in the lower left corner. The bright star Aldebaran and some of the stars in the constellation Taurus are visible on the right. Spirit acquired this image the evening of martian day, or sol, 590 (Aug. 30, 2005). The image on the right provides an enhanced-contrast view with annotation. Within the enhanced halo of light is an insert of an unsaturated view of Phobos taken a few images later in the same sequence. "It is incredibly cool to be running an observatory on another planet," said planetary scientist Jim Bell of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., lead scientist for the panoramic cameras on Spirit and Opportunity. In the annotated animation (figure 2), both martian moons, Deimos on the left and Phobos on the right, travel across the night sky in front of the constellation Sagittarius. Part of Sagittarius resembles an upside-down teapot. In this view, Phobos moves toward the handle and Deimos moves toward the lid. Phobos is the brighter object on the right, Deimos is on the left. Each of the stars in Sagittarius is labeled with its formal name. The inset shows an enlarged, enhanced view of Phobos, shaped rather like a potato with a hole near one end. The hole is the large impact creater Stickney, visible on the moon's upper right limb. On Mars, Phobos would be easily visible to the naked eye at night, but would be only about one-third as large as the full Moon appears from Earth. Astronauts staring at Phobos from the surface of Mars would notice its oblong, potato-like shape and that it moves quickly against the background stars. Phobos takes only 7 hours, 39 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That is so fast, relative to the 24-hour-and-39-minute sol on Mars (the length of time it takes for Mars to complete one rotation), that Phobos rises in the west and sets in the east. Earth's moon, by comparison, rises in the east and sets in the west. The smaller martian moon, Deimos, takes 30 hours, 12 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That orbital period is longer than a martian sol, and so Deimos rises, like most solar system moons, in the east and sets in the west. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the five images that make up this composite with the panoramic camera, using the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
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Two Moons and the Pleiades f
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PIA06340
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Two Moons and the Pleiades from Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Taking advantage of extra solar energy collected during the day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recently settled in for an evening of stargazing, photographing the two moons of Mars as they crossed the night sky. In this view, the Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the "Seven Sisters," is visible in the lower left corner. The bright star Aldebaran and some of the stars in the constellation Taurus are visible on the right. Spirit acquired this image the evening of martian day, or sol, 590 (Aug. 30, 2005). The image on the right provides an enhanced-contrast view with annotation. Within the enhanced halo of light is an insert of an unsaturated view of Phobos taken a few images later in the same sequence. "It is incredibly cool to be running an observatory on another planet," said planetary scientist Jim Bell of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., lead scientist for the panoramic cameras on Spirit and Opportunity. In the annotated animation (figure 2), both martian moons, Deimos on the left and Phobos on the right, travel across the night sky in front of the constellation Sagittarius. Part of Sagittarius resembles an upside-down teapot. In this view, Phobos moves toward the handle and Deimos moves toward the lid. Phobos is the brighter object on the right, Deimos is on the left. Each of the stars in Sagittarius is labeled with its formal name. The inset shows an enlarged, enhanced view of Phobos, shaped rather like a potato with a hole near one end. The hole is the large impact creater Stickney, visible on the moon's upper right limb. On Mars, Phobos would be easily visible to the naked eye at night, but would be only about one-third as large as the full Moon appears from Earth. Astronauts staring at Phobos from the surface of Mars would notice its oblong, potato-like shape and that it moves quickly against the background stars. Phobos takes only 7 hours, 39 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That is so fast, relative to the 24-hour-and-39-minute sol on Mars (the length of time it takes for Mars to complete one rotation), that Phobos rises in the west and sets in the east. Earth's moon, by comparison, rises in the east and sets in the west. The smaller martian moon, Deimos, takes 30 hours, 12 minutes to complete one orbit of Mars. That orbital period is longer than a martian sol, and so Deimos rises, like most solar system moons, in the east and sets in the west. Scientists will use images of the two moons to better map their orbital positions, learn more about their composition, and monitor the presence of nighttime clouds or haze. Spirit took the five images that make up this composite with the panoramic camera, using the camera's broadband filter, which was designed specifically for acquiring images under low-light conditions. |
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The Seven Sisters Pose for S
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PIA09263
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
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| Title |
The Seven Sisters Pose for Spitzer |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades star cluster, seem to float on a bed of feathers in a new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil. The Pleiades, located more than 400 light-years away in the Taurus constellation, are the subject of many legends and writings. Greek mythology holds that the flock of stars was transformed into celestial doves by Zeus to save them from a pursuant Orion. The 19th-century poet Alfred Lord Tennyson described them as "glittering like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid." The star cluster was born when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, about 100 million years ago. It is significantly younger than our 5-billion-year-old sun. The brightest members of the cluster, also the highest-mass stars, are known in Greek mythology as two parents, Atlas and Pleione, and their seven daughters, Alcyone, Electra, Maia, Merope, Taygeta, Celaeno and Asterope. There are thousands of additional lower-mass members, including many stars like our sun. Some scientists believe that our sun grew up in a crowded region like the Pleiades, before migrating to its present, more isolated home. The new infrared image from Spitzer highlights the "tangled silver braid" mentioned in the poem by Tennyson. This spider-web-like network of filaments, colored yellow, green and red in this view, is made up of dust associated with the cloud through which the cluster is traveling. The densest portion of the cloud appears in yellow and red, and the more diffuse outskirts are shown in green hues. One of the parent stars, Atlas, can be seen at the bottom, while six of the sisters are visible at top. Additional stars in the cluster are sprinkled throughout the picture in blue. The Spitzer data also reveal never-before-seen brown dwarfs, or "failed stars," and disks of planetary debris (not pictured). John Stauffer of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope mission says Spitzer's infrared vision allows astronomers to better study the cooler, lower-mass stars in the region, which are much fainter when viewed in optical light. Stauffer, who admits to being biased because the Pleiades is his favorite astronomical object, says the cluster is the perfect laboratory for understanding the evolution of stars. This image is made up of data taken by Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer and its infrared array camera. Light with a wavelength of 4.5 microns is blue, light of 8 microns is green, and light of 24 microns is red. Venus and Pleiades Mingle in the Sky The sky chart in figure 1, illustrates the Venus-Pleiades encounter that reached its closest approach on April 11, 2007. The Pleiades are a tight gem-like cluster of stars that resemble a tiny dipper (but should not be confused with the Little Dipper constellation). If you look west shortly after sunset, Venus will be the brightest object in the sky. If the skies are clear and dark, you'll also see the Pleiades twinkling above Venus. On April 19, the moon will join the party, sliding between Venus and the Pleiades. Viewers in the northern and southern hemispheres will be able to witness the event. |
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The Seven Sisters Pose for S
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PIA09263
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
…
| Title |
The Seven Sisters Pose for Spitzer |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades star cluster, seem to float on a bed of feathers in a new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil. The Pleiades, located more than 400 light-years away in the Taurus constellation, are the subject of many legends and writings. Greek mythology holds that the flock of stars was transformed into celestial doves by Zeus to save them from a pursuant Orion. The 19th-century poet Alfred Lord Tennyson described them as "glittering like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid." The star cluster was born when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, about 100 million years ago. It is significantly younger than our 5-billion-year-old sun. The brightest members of the cluster, also the highest-mass stars, are known in Greek mythology as two parents, Atlas and Pleione, and their seven daughters, Alcyone, Electra, Maia, Merope, Taygeta, Celaeno and Asterope. There are thousands of additional lower-mass members, including many stars like our sun. Some scientists believe that our sun grew up in a crowded region like the Pleiades, before migrating to its present, more isolated home. The new infrared image from Spitzer highlights the "tangled silver braid" mentioned in the poem by Tennyson. This spider-web-like network of filaments, colored yellow, green and red in this view, is made up of dust associated with the cloud through which the cluster is traveling. The densest portion of the cloud appears in yellow and red, and the more diffuse outskirts are shown in green hues. One of the parent stars, Atlas, can be seen at the bottom, while six of the sisters are visible at top. Additional stars in the cluster are sprinkled throughout the picture in blue. The Spitzer data also reveal never-before-seen brown dwarfs, or "failed stars," and disks of planetary debris (not pictured). John Stauffer of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope mission says Spitzer's infrared vision allows astronomers to better study the cooler, lower-mass stars in the region, which are much fainter when viewed in optical light. Stauffer, who admits to being biased because the Pleiades is his favorite astronomical object, says the cluster is the perfect laboratory for understanding the evolution of stars. This image is made up of data taken by Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer and its infrared array camera. Light with a wavelength of 4.5 microns is blue, light of 8 microns is green, and light of 24 microns is red. Venus and Pleiades Mingle in the Sky The sky chart in figure 1, illustrates the Venus-Pleiades encounter that reached its closest approach on April 11, 2007. The Pleiades are a tight gem-like cluster of stars that resemble a tiny dipper (but should not be confused with the Little Dipper constellation). If you look west shortly after sunset, Venus will be the brightest object in the sky. If the skies are clear and dark, you'll also see the Pleiades twinkling above Venus. On April 19, the moon will join the party, sliding between Venus and the Pleiades. Viewers in the northern and southern hemispheres will be able to witness the event. |
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